Liverpool Nears Agreement for Barcola and Mbaye

Liverpool’s summer rebuild has moved to the brink of a statement double raid on Paris Saint-Germain, with a huge agreement in principle for Bradley Barcola and serious progress on a deal for Ibrahim Mbaye.

Liverpool close on Barcola after fee breakthrough

Liverpool have been chasing Barcola all summer. The message from Anfield has been consistent: he is the priority wide signing, the one they believe can reshape their attack for the next decade.

The problem was PSG’s price.

The French champions initially planted their flag at around €170m for the 23-year-old, who lit up the 2026 World Cup with France and has refused to sign a new contract in Paris. L’Equipe reported on August 6 that PSG were holding out for €150m, while Liverpool were determined not to go beyond €120m.

Something had to give.

It now has. According to Liverpool-focused outlet DaveocKop, the clubs have reached an agreement in principle over a fee in the region of €128m. The add-ons, crucially, are described as “more achievable” than the earlier, more ambitious clauses that had been floated.

That figure sits almost exactly between the two previously reported positions. PSG get close to their revised valuation, Liverpool avoid smashing through the ceiling they had set for themselves.

The contractual side with the player has long been in place. Reports in France last week indicated Liverpool had already agreed terms with Barcola, who has made it clear to PSG that he wants to leave and, specifically, wants to join Liverpool.

For now, the usual caveat applies: it is one outlet reporting that an agreement in principle is there, and nothing is signed. Liverpool know as well as anyone that “in principle” can be a fragile phrase in the transfer market.

But this is no longer a vague courtship. It is a negotiation that has found its number.

Mbaye chase gathers pace

While the Barcola story edges towards a conclusion, Liverpool have been quietly accelerating another PSG pursuit.

Ibrahim Mbaye has emerged as a serious target, and this week the noise around him has sharpened. Fabrizio Romano, speaking on The Market Madness on August 6, described “genuine interest” from Liverpool in the winger and confirmed that talks are under way with his new agent, Jorge Mendes.

Bayer Leverkusen had been pushing hard. They are no strangers to spotting and polishing attacking talent, and for a time looked well placed. That has changed. Romano now says Liverpool are leading the race.

On August 4, at 10:15pm, Romano wrote on X that Liverpool had made contact with Mendes and that Mbaye, who also has proposals from Bundesliga clubs, is giving priority to the Liverpool project. A move to RB Leipzig had been close, only to collapse when a separate deal involving Diomande and PSG fell through.

TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey added further detail on August 6, reporting that Liverpool are in talks with Mbaye’s representatives and that the player himself is keen on a switch to Anfield.

So while Barcola dominates the headlines with his price tag, Mbaye is moving along a parallel track: agent spoken to, rival suitors identified, the player leaning towards Merseyside.

FSG’s intent, PSG’s dilemma

Put together, the two pursuits tell a clear story.

Fenway Sports Group, often accused of caution in the market, are now deep into negotiations over a potential nine-figure deal for Barcola and a second winger in Mbaye. This is not tinkering at the edges. It is a bold attempt to raid one of Europe’s most powerful clubs for two of their brightest attacking assets.

For PSG, the situation is delicate. Barcola has signalled his desire to leave and has a clear preferred destination. Mbaye is listening closely to Liverpool and has already seen one move elsewhere fall apart. Hold too firm and they risk discontent; bend too far and they risk looking vulnerable in a market they usually dominate.

Liverpool, for their part, are walking the tightrope between ambition and discipline. They refused to touch PSG’s early numbers for Barcola, held their line at €120m, and have now inched up to a compromise that still represents a colossal outlay but on their terms.

Now comes the hard part: turning “agreement in principle” into signatures, medicals and photographs in a red shirt.

If they pull it off, Anfield will welcome not just one marquee winger from Paris, but potentially two. And then the question won’t be about Liverpool’s intent anymore, but about how far this new-look attack can take them.